STUNT ADMINISTRATORS GUIDE - STUNTTHESPORT.ORG - STUNTTHESPORT.ORG
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STUNT Administrators Guide
STUNTtheSport.org
STUNTtheSport.org
What is STUNT? STUNT, the fastest growing female sport in the country, removes the crowd-leading element and focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, including partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, group jumps and tumbling. These elements are put together in short routines that both teams must perform head-to-head on the floor at the same time. The team that executes the skills best wins the round and the point, and has the opportunity to determine which routine level will be called next. With four quarters of play – partner stunts, pyramids & tosses, jumps & tumbling, and team routine – STUNT is an exciting sport to play, coach and watch.
Why STUNT Sport Disciplines
USA Cheer created STUNT to provide a discipline of USA Cheer governs STUNT as a discipline of cheer. USA
cheer that was exclusively focused on competition Cheer's governance of STUNT as a discipline of cheer is
and structured in a way to provide meaningful similar to the structure of sports of other national
interscholastic and intercollegiate athletic governing bodies.
participation opportunities that schools can count
for Title IX. STUNT has done just that since 2010. For example, NGBs oversee their respective “SPORTS”
STUNT just finished its 12th season at the college e.g. Cheer, Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer,
level and 10th for high school. More than 100 Gymnastics. Also, the NGBs oversee their Sport
colleges have participated in STUNT since 2011, and “DISCIPLINES” that are sometimes considered “Sports”
more than 400 high schools have participated, by the NCAA and National Federation of State High
making STUNT one the fastest growing female sports School Associations.
in the country.
FOR EXAMPLE:
• USA Basketball governs the “sport” of basketball.
— Disciplines such as: 5-person basketball, 3 x 3
basketball, Slam Dunk, all female teams, all male
teams, and mixed / coed teams.
— Only all-female and all male teams are considered
“sports” by the NCAA and NFHS.
• USA Soccer governs the “sport” of soccer.
— Disciplines such as: futsal, Team Soccer, 3 x 3 Soccer,
1 x 1 soccer, etc.
— Only Team Soccer falls under the NCAA & NFHS.
• USA Gymnastics governs the “sport” of gymnastics.
— Disciplines such as: Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic
Gymnastics, Acro Gymnastics, Trampoline, etc.
— Only artistic gymnastics falls under the NCAA
and NFHS.
STUNT’S GOVERNANCE IS SIMILAR:
• USA Cheer governs the “sport” of cheer
— Disciplines such as: Sideline cheer, competitive
cheer, all star cheer, performance cheer and STUNT
— STUNT is the “sport” discipline USA Cheer is
advancing at the NFHS and NCAA level.
How does STUNT compare to Competitive Cheerleading?
STUNT and Competitive Cheerleading are two different disciplines of “cheer” that both utilize technical skills in
their sport. STUNT is the discipline that has been recommended by the NCAA Committee on Women’s
Athletics for Emerging Sport status.
STUNT Competitive Cheer
Game Length 45 -60 minute game 2:30 minute routine
Competitive Format Two teams in head-to-head competition. Single teams perform one at a time
at an event with many teams in the
same competition division.
Scoring Objective – Based on execution Subjective/Objective – Based on
routine choreography and
execution
Format 4 Quarter Format Based on Skills – Quarters Based on individual routine
consist of Partner Stunts, Pyramids and Tosses, choreography. Includes crowd-
Jumps and Tumbling. Routines are all leading, and dance elements as
compulsory. well as stunting, pyramids,
tumbling, and jumps.
Season Teams competed as an exclusively Spring sport. Teams compete year-round.
For more information, see the USA Cheer Position Paper on Title IX
STUNT Programs by Conference
(v) denotes Varsity program under the athletics department.
American Midwest Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Northern Athletics Collegiate
Missouri Baptist University (v) Conference Association
Davenport University (v) Concordia University, Chicago (v)
Dominican University (IL) (v)
American Rivers Conference
Great Lakes Valley Conference
Buena Vista University (v) Northwest Conference
Drury University (v)
Maryville University (MO) (v) George Fox University (v)
Big 10
Michigan State University Great Midwest Athletic Conference Ohio Athletic Conference
University of Michigan Ashland University (v) Muskingum University (v)
Tiffin University (v) Heidelberg University (v)
Big 12 Ursuline College (v)
Oklahoma State University Ohio Valley Conference
Texas Tech University Golden State Athletic Conference University of Tennessee, Martin
Arizona Christian (v) (v)
University of Texas, Austin
Hope International University (v)
Ottawa University (AZ) (v) PAC 12
Big Sky Arizona State University
Westcliff University (v)
UC Davis Pac West
Vanguard University (v)
Sacramento State Concordia University, Irvine (v)
William Jessup University (v)
Cal Poly
Heart of America Conference Southeastern Conference
Big West Central Methodist University (v) University of Kentucky (v)
California State Bakersfield
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Sooner Athletic Conference
California Collegiate Athletic Ottawa University (KS) (v) Oklahoma City University (v)
Association
Sonoma State University Lone Star Conference Southern Collegiate Athletic
Cal State, Stanislaus The University of Texas at Tyler (v) Conference
Dallas Baptist University (v) Austin College (v)
California Community College Texas Woman’s University (v)
Athletic Association St Mary’s University (TX) (v) St Louis Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference
Bakersfield College
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Fontbonne University (v)
Riverside City College
Association
Alma College (v) Western Athletic Conference
Colonial States Athletic California Baptist University (v)
Olivet College (v)
Conference Grand Canyon University
Saint Elizabeth University (v) Mid-American Conference
Central Michigan University West Coast Conference
Great American Conference St. Mary’s College (CA)
Oklahoma Baptist University (v) National Junior College Athletic
Southern Arkansas University Association Wolverine-Hoosier
Connors State College (OK) Aquinas College
Concordia University, Ann Arbor
North Coast – NCAC
Hiram College (v)
As of 9/9/2022
View the updated list and interactive map at
stuntthesport.org/college
Sample Budgets
Division I
Number of athletes: 30
Per Athlete Team Total
Equipment $9,000
Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000
Administrative Costs $1,000
USA Cheer Team Registration $250
Travel $500 $15,000
Meals $200 $6,000
Program Activity $100 $3,000
Recruiting $2,000
Total $48,250
Head Coach Salary $60,000
Asst. Coach Stipend $8,000
Grand Total $116,250
*Scholarships $25,000
Grand Total w/ Scholarships $141,250
These are sample budgets based on actual figures provided by our current programs and will differ depending on
program needs.
The primary initial equipment cost is a carpet bonded foam floor, which then only requires maintenance and
periodic replacement of individual mat strips.
*Scholarships are based on the equivalency model with a recommended range of 7-9.
Division II
Number of athletes: 30
Per Athlete Team Total
Equipment $3,000
Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000
Administrative Costs $1,000
USA Cheer Team Registration $250
Travel $500 $15,000
Meals $200 $6,000
Program Activity $100 $3,000
Recruiting $2,000
Total $42,250
Coaching Salary $45,000
Grand Total $87,250
*Scholarships $25,000
Grand Total w/ Scholarships $112,250
*Scholarships are based on the equivalency model with a recommended range of 7-9.
Division III
Number of athletes: 30
Per Athlete Team Total
Equipment $3,000
Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000
Administrative Costs $1,000
USA Cheer Team Registration $250
Travel $500 $15,000
Meals $200 $6,000
Program Activity $100 $3,000
Recruiting $2,000
Total $42,250
Coaching Salary $30,000
Grand Total $72,250Sample High School Budget
Item Cost
Carpet Bonded Foam Mats *$700/mat
• You may already have these for your cheer team
• 9 mats make a full floor but only 4 mats are needed to
practice
Uniform Top (Jersey) *$40/jersey
Uniform Bottoms (Spandex shorts) *$30/jersey
Shoes *$90/per pair
USA Cheer Program Membership $149.00
Recommended STUNT Coach Membership $35.00
*Denotes costs that are approximate and can vary due to the product/vendor usedSuggested NCAA Regulations
Suggested NCAA Regulations
The College STUNT Association has consulted closely with our
administrators and coaches to come up with recommendations
for how STUNT will be governed by NCAA regulations.
We do realize that this guidance may be subject to change
based on additional input from the NCAA and our school
administrators as we move through the emerging sport process.
1. Playing Season —STUNT Season Calendar:
These are our recommended guidelines for Division 9/7 or 4th day of classes – week before finals
II, however each institution will be expected to follow Non-Championship Segment
the NCAA Guidelines for playing and practice season 1/13 – end of the season 5/5
for their respective divisions. Championship Segment
5/6 – 9/7 off season –
• FIRST CONTEST DATE: NO CARA – no contact
A member institution shall not engage in its first date
of competition (game or scrimmage) with outside 2. Competition
competition in STUNT prior to Feb 1st! The • CLASSIFICATION:
championship segment begins January 13th or the
first day of classes. STUNT is considered to be a team sport (e.g.
basketball, softball, etc.)
• END OF REGULAR PLAYING SEASON:
• DATES OF COMPETITION – INSTITUTIONAL:
A member institution shall conclude all practices and
competition (games and scrimmages) in STUNT by A member institution shall include a minimum of 6
the conclusion of the NCAA STUNT Championship. and a maximum of 16 dates of competition on its
total playing schedule during the institution’s
• COUNTABLE ATHLETICALLY RELATED STUNT playing season.
ACTIVITIES:
• ANNUAL EXEMPTIONS:
(CARA) (Bylaw 17.02)
Conference Championship, NCAA Championship,
— During playing season, a student-athlete's Alumni Game, Foreign Team in U.S., Hawaii or
participation in countable athletically related activities Alaska, Fund-Raising Activity, Celebrity Sports
shall be limited to a maximum of 4 hours per day and Activity, U.S. National Team.
20 hours per week (Bylaw 17.1.6.1)
— Non-playing season (fall) CARA hours are limited 3. Coaching Staff
to no more than 8 hours per week • HEAD COACH – One: Implemented immediately
** Option of declaring a 45-day window in which 15 • ASSISTANT COACH – Three: 1 – Implemented
hours/week is allowed immediately; 2 – added within 2 years of sport
— No CARA hours over summer/vacation periods sponsored by 40 NCAA institutions.
(17.1.6.3.5) and during institutional final exam period • Limit on OFF-CAMPUS RECRUITERS– Two:
(17.1.6.3.4) Implemented immediately.4. Financial Aid 6. Eligibility
• MAXIMUM EQUIVALENCY LIMITS: • FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT (Bylaw 14.1.7):
We recommend 9 equivalencies, based on school's Requirement for practice or Competition: To be
ability and budgets. eligible for practice or competition, a student-athlete
shall be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time
5. Playing Rules program of studies as defined by the institution (most
member schools are at 12 units)
• PARTICIPANTS:
• GRADE POINT AVERAGE:
A team is composed of a minimum of 16.
Requirement for practice or Competition: To be
• EQUIPMENT: eligible for practice or competition, a student-athlete
must maintain a 2.0 GPA every grading period.
A player’s equipment consists of the following
uniform: 7. Recruiting
— Jersey: Must have a minimum 4 inch number
located on the front of the jersey and a minimum of 6 • No contact with prospective student-athletes (PSA’s)
inch on the center back. Numbers must be unique to prior to June 15th of their junior year.
an individual athlete. • Additional recruiting legislation to be implemented
— Bottoms: Teams will wear compression shorts. based upon the individual Division requirements for
— All athletes for a particular team must have contact and dead periods.
identical uniforms.
— Team and manufacturer’s logos must conform to
current NCAA standards.
• SCORING SYSTEM:
Teams are awarded points by the execution of their
routine, with the winner determined by which team
executes the routine with the fewest errors. The
winning team of each round in quarters 1-3 receives 1
point and the losing team receives 0 points. In the 4th
quarter, each team may score from 0-3 points per
round of this quarter. Winning the game is determined
by who scores the most points.
• FACILITIES:
Each playing court is a rectangle measuring 54 ft. x
42 ft. area consisting of nine non-spring, carpet
bonded, foam mat panels with a minimum 1-3/8 in.
thickness, referred to as a competition floor. Each mat
panel, 6 ft. x 42 ft. in size, will be connected along its
seams using a 4 in. wide Velcro strip.High School and Club Participation
High School Varsity
and Club Programs
Soon after we launched STUNT at the college level in
2010, we were inundated with high school coaches and
athletes wanting to play STUNT at the high school level.
STUNT is now being played as a sanctioned sport at the
state and district levels across the country, with additional
teams playing as a high school club sport, some of which
are preparing to petition for state sanctioning.
State Status Teams Athletes Games Championship
CA (California Interscholastic Varsity 150 3,750 900 Yes
Federation)
NC (Wake County Public Schools) Varsity 15 300 160 Yes
AK (Anchorage School District) Varsity 6 60 30 Yes
DC (DC Interscholastic Activities Varsity 6 90 30 Yes
Association)
NY (NY Public Schools Athletic Varsity 32 575 288 Yes
Association)
Oklahoma (Club Sport at the High Club 33 825 225 Yes
School and Junior High level)
Subtotal 242 5,600 1,633
After a 2019 pilot program for club/youth rec STUNT, over 50 teams joined for the 2020 season with a schedule
outlined below. STUNT has a pipeline for athletes from the grass roots through the high school level.
STUNT being played as a club/youth rec league sport
State Teams Athletes Games
California 9 135 22
Michigan 5 75 10
New Jersey 12 200 30
New York 5 75 10
Oklahoma 14 250 45
Washington 7 105 15
Total Youth 52 840 132STUNT Student Athlete Experience
STUNT student athletes enjoy the same benefits of varsity intercollegiate sports participation as other
student athletes.
STUNT Program Profiles:
To provide you a snapshot of how our STUNT programs operate, we wanted to share some more details on a few
of our programs so you can better understand the student athlete experience and program operations.
Concordia University
Here are some key details about STUNT at Concordia:
• Coaching: STUNT head coaches receive a full-time salary specifically
for coaching STUNT.
• Practices: STUNT teams play and practice STUNT exclusively
during the STUNT season.
• Recruiting: The head coach recruits specific athletes for the
STUNT team primarily from the huge pipeline of high school
athletes playing STUNT in California. Once those athletes have
started the application process, they are marked as a STUNT recruit in the institutions system for admissions and
financial aid purposes.
• Athletic Benefits: STUNT athletes are fully integrated into the intercollegiate varsity sport experience at their
institutions, receiving the full benefits of athletic participation including:
— The STUNT athletes receive all of the same benefits as the other athletic
programs on campus including their own team athletic trainer, full access
to the athletic training facility, insurance coverage, their own designated
locker-room, 2 full-time head coaches (with their own office in the athletic
department), a position on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee – SAAC
(our STUNT athlete currently holds a board position).
— Inclusion in awards and recognitions consistent with other NCAA sport
athletes: The STUNT athletes are able to be nominated and win all of the
same awards as any other athlete on campus. This past year, a STUNT
athlete won the most prestigious award at the Senior Athlete Banquet. She was
awarded this because of her outstanding academic, athletic, and
community achievements.
— Opportunities for athletic scholarships: STUNT is allotted 2.5 equivalencies
— Promotion on school athletic websites and other communications consistent
with other NCAA sport athletes: STUNT is on the website in accordance with all other athletic programs at
Concordia including the roster, schedule, live streamed events, and media stories.STUNT Program Profiles continued:
California Baptist University
Here are some key details about STUNT at CBU:
• Coaching: STUNT head coach receives a full-time salary. Coach
is exclusively coaching STUNT.
• Practices: During the STUNT season, STUNT athletes exclusively
play and practice for STUNT.
• Recruiting: The STUNT head coach recruits athletes year-round for the STUNT team nationwide from
high school, community colleges, and all-star cheer gyms.
• Athletic Benefits: STUNT is a varsity sport under athletics. STUNT athletes receive the full benefits
of athletic participation including:
– Designated athletic trainer
– Full access to athletic training center and
athlete gym
– Practice facility exclusively for STUNT
with private lockers
– Insurance coverage
– Athlete representation on the Student
Athlete Advisory Committee - SAAC
– Opportunities for athletic scholarships
– Priority class registration
– Inclusion on awards and recognitions
consistent with other NCAA sport athletes
– Promotion on school’s athletic websiteSTUNT Program Profiles continued:
Oklahoma Baptist University
Here are some key details about STUNT at OBU:
• Coaching: STUNT has a coach that is specifically assigned
to STUNT who receives a salary/stipend specifically for
coaching STUNT.
• Practices: STUNT practices are stand-alone practices for the
STUNT team only and do not overlap with any sports.
• Recruiting: STUNT Coaches attend STUNT recruiting
combines in Texas, Oklahoma, and California to identify athletes. Additionally, the coaches leverage contacts
and the recruiting pipeline of STUNT athletes with high school coaches and senior athletes.
• Athletic Benefits: STUNT athletes are fully integrated into the intercollegiate varsity sport experience at their
institutions, receiving the full benefits of athletic participation including:
— Scholarships ranging from $2000-$20,000
— All uniforms and practice clothes provided
— All travel expenses, per diem, etc. covered
— Practice at University-provided facility
— All athletic training provided
— All NCAA eligibility rules are followed by all athletes
—Eligibility for Awards: The Bison Sports Awards and the
end of the year Athlete banquet and recognition is
provided for all NCAA sports and their athletes. The
STUNT athletes are also listed on the Athletic Director
Honor Roll.
— Promotion on school athletic websites and other
communications consistent with other NCAA sport
athletes: STUNT is listed on athletic web site and the
school SID follows and promotes all STUNT games,
tournaments, and awards.
— All NCAA eligibility regulations are followed and monitored by the School compliance director and
reported through CARA (Countable Athletic Related Activities)STUNT Program Profiles continued:
Hiram College
Here are some key details about STUNT at Hiram:
• Coaching: The STUNT head coach is a full-time employee at the
college with a salary comparable to other coaches in the athletic
department. Her main responsibility is the STUNT program.
• Practices: The STUNT teams gets priority of facility usage during their season. Our practices do not overlap with
other sports.
• Recruiting: STUNT coaches actively recruit around the nation. They attend STUNT combines in California and
Ohio to evaluate prospective student-athletes. They also travel to California and New York to scout at high
school STUNT games. Through high school coach contacts and scouting events, coaches are in touch with
seniors who begin the recruitment process and roster spots are filled in that way.
• Athletic Benefits: Student-athletes are supported financially and athletically.
—Full-time head coach and assistant coach
—Insurance coverage
—All uniforms and practice gear provided
—Full access to athletic training staff and equipment
—All travel expenses provided for games
—Practice space at college
—Locker room during STUNT season
—Recognition at awards banquets: The Terry Awards and
Senior Student-Athlete Banquet are hosted every year by
the athletic department. STUNT athletes are honored
with all other NCAA sports.
—Promotion on college athletic website: consistent with other NCAA sports, the Sports Information Office
publishes the roster, schedule, coaches biographies, game previews, game recaps, community service
stories, and awards for STUNT.What Our Programs Say
From our coaches, administrators to student athletes—participants in STUNT love the sport and their
experience.
Click here to find out why athletes, coaches and fans love STUNT: Why I Love STUNT
Athletic Directors: Coaches:
“OBU is proud of the opportunities STUNT is bringing to “The goal of STUNT at OBU is to give females the
women on our campus. The program is recruiting a chance to compete at the NCAA level where they are
large number of female athletes who would have recognized for their talents on the same playing field as
potentially not chosen OBU otherwise. We are excited to their peers. OBU is proud to be one of the pioneers in the
see what is in store for the future of STUNT.” varsity sport STUNT and look forward to the future of
what STUNT can offer our athletic department and
Robert Davenport, Athletic Director, Oklahoma Baptist
University student athletes. As we approach our fourth year as an
established athletic program, we plan to continue to rise
in the rankings of success and provide a topnotch program
“Our STUNT team at Davenport University has been an and education for our athletes.”
incredible addition to our existing varsity athletic programs.
Jessica Stiles, Coach, Oklahoma Baptist University
This group of student athletes represents themselves and
our university with the utmost class and pride. Each year
our Head STUNT Coach recruits a new class of student
“I am excited for the opportunity to partake in this new and
athletes to campus raising not only the number of female
growing sport. Adding a STUNT program opens up many
student-athletes on campus, but also supports the overall
opportunities for female athletes to compete on a collegiate
enrollment expectations of new students to Davenport
level and be recognized not only as a team but as
University. We look forward to continuing full support of
individuals based on their athletic abilities. I believe by
STUNT. It has been an awesome addition to our overall
adding a STUNT program that SBU will see an increase in
women’s sport offerings.”
female student athletes and bring in a new and excited fan
Paul Lowden, Athletic Director, Davenport University base dedicated to the sport.”
Kayla Duffey, Coach, Southwest Baptist University
“The student-athletes that are part of the STUNT
program are highly respected on the mat, in the weight “Pursuing STUNT for emerging sport status is powerful.
room, in the classroom, and throughout the Alma College Emerging- sport status is essentially the transition
community. The games create an exciting atmosphere and between club sport and NCAA-sanctioned sport. When
once fans watch, they are hooked. The Alma student- STUNT becomes an NCAA sport, that will allow the team
athletes under the direction of head coach, Michelle to recruit with resources outside of Stillwater which would
Sabourin, have built a name for themselves nationwide only further the success that the program has had. This
and continue to prove why STUNT is a growing sport big picture mindset is one that many of the STUNT
nationally.” coaches have for the sport. We want to elevate these
Sarah Dehring, Athletic Director, Alma College female athletes to the next level.”
Lindsay Bracken, Coach, Oklahoma State UniversityStudent Athletes:
“STUNT provides female athletes with the most amazing “STUNT has given me the opportunity to continue doing
opportunities to be able to compete at the collegiate what I love and to be treated as an athlete like my peers.
level in a version of the sport they have grown to love The sport has taught me to challenge myself physically
throughout their lives. It is competitive, head to head and and mentally, earning myself several executed skills I
so much fun!” never thought possible. My greatest takeaways are
those that I use in my current internship, in the classroom,
Mackinley Prentice, Alma College and in everyday life—how to handle adversity and how
important it is to focus on the little details. Iam so thankful
Hiram added STUNT as a varsity sport.”
“I hope to see STUNT approved for NCAA Emerging Sport
Status so that future of female athletes can continue to Dawn Condeza, Hiram College
grow and be eligible for college scholarships. I think
STUNT is continuously going to pick up momentum
because it is fun, crowd engaging and intense to
compete in and watch.”
Zoey Hoffman, Davenport UniversityAthletic Training for STUNT Athletes:
Here are examples from a few of our STUNT program’s Athletic Trainers on thebenefits that
their STUNT athletes receive at their universities.
Concordia University, Irvine, CA
A normal day working in the STUNT world is pretreatment
“This past year I have been blessed to be offered to
for about an hour and a half to two hours prior to practice,
work with CUI’s STUNT team and it has brought me
being in the gym with the team during their two hour
nothing but an immense amount of joy! I love CUI
practice and providing post treatment for approximately
STUNT. These girls are athletes and deserve
one to two hours depending on the athlete’s needs.
EVERYTHING that the other collegiate sports receive.”
• Game days consist of pretreatment and post treatment Kaleigh Biedron, LAT, ATC
as well. As we host a lot of games I offer my services to
the other team if they are in need of anything medical
wise. During the game, I have set up a med table for
evaluations if necessary. I stay in the gym/arena during
the whole game in case of injury. After the game, I
provide post treatment for any athlete who may need it.
• I work approximately 30-35 hours a week specifically
with the STUNT team.
• STUNT needs just as much as any other sport that I have
worked with. They are an intense group of girls who put
their hearts on the mat. They are true athletes.
• Pretreatment consists of heating, stretching, modalities,
taping, bracing, rehab, etc.
• Post treatment consists of evaluations, modalities,
cryotherapy etc.
• Injury prevention in this sport is very important. Strength
and conditioning is required at CUI. That is a big part of
injury prevention. Understanding proper biomechanics
when lifting is huge and that is taught in conditioning.
• Injury prevention in the clinic is a little different. I make
sure strength and flexibility is within normal limits for
that specific athlete and “nip it in the bud” if it isn’t their
norm.
• All athletes will be put on a rehabilitation plan if any sort
of injury occurs. This plan is made by me (their ATC) and
will be done with me in the clinic multiple times during
the week. This program will continue to progress until
the athlete is back to their optimal strength.Athletic Training for STUNT Athletes continued:
Hiram College, OH
STUNT athletes at Hiram receive pre-practice treatment • If an injury occurs, athletes will begin a rehabilitation
about an hour prior to practice, depending on the specific plan. As their athletic trainer, I make their plan to be
needs of the athlete. Treatment times are also scheduled completed in the athletic training room multiple times
throughout the day for those who need help recovering during the week. Typically, the athlete will continue this
from an injury. Our goal is keeping the athletes safe and plan until they have regained their strength and are fully
feeling well yet getting them back to competing and cleared to participate. Another rehabilitation plan will
practicing as soon as safely possible like we do with all be created to maintain the well-being of the athlete.
athletes.
• Game days required more attention. We have hosted
a few games and I will offer my medical attention and “This past year was my first year working with Hiram’s
services to all the teams that need assistance. I help tape STUNT team, and I absolutely love this group of women.
the other teams when needed. During the game, I will They are so dedicated to their sport and improving
stay in the gym in case of an injury or any other medical themselves every day. It has been great getting to work
attention needed. Following the game, I will provide
with them and getting to know more about the sport of
post treatment for any athletes that need it.
STUNT. Games are so fun to watch! I look forward to
• As an athletic training staff, we are not assigned to working with these athletes again this season and helping
specific teams. However, due to my interest in the them grow to their athletic potential.”
sport and my rapport with the team members, I get the
privilege of working with the STUNT team the most. This Bethany Cera, MA, AT, ATC
was my first year working with them, as it is a new varsity Assistant Athletic Trainer, Hiram College
program on campus, and they deserve and obtain as
much attention from our athletic training staff as any
other sport at Hiram. They dedicate a great amount of
time to their sport and are highly respected as athletes.
• Pre-practice routines consists of heating, stretching,
modality treatment, taping, bracing, rehab, etc.
• Post-practice routines typically consist of cryotherapy
and evaluations, with the occasional modality treatment.
• Injury prevention in this sport is very important due to
the repeated impact on joints. Coach Campbell works
with us to strengthen injury prone parts of the body in
hopes of preventing injuries. Team lifting sessions is
where this prevention happens most, and proper lifting
techniques are stressed.Safety and Risk Management
Safety and Risk Management
Nothing is more important than the safety of the athletes who play STUNT. This document will outline the risks
involved in the sport of STUNT and the measures that are taken to minimize those risks.
STUNT Risks
All sports have inherent risks. STUNT involves athletes participating in partner stunts, pyramids, tosses, jumps,
and tumbling. These skills include height, inversion, and rotation of the body as well as working in coordination
with other athletes to perform these skills. Special care should be taken by supervisory staff to ensure that skills
are taught in a progressive manner, requiring proficiency before advancing to skills with higher difficulty.
The Myth of Cheerleading Injuries
As STUNT is based on the skills found in cheerleading, one of the first issues to address is the unfounded
perception that cheerleading is somehow more dangerous than other sports, including football.
Without getting into details for the purposes of this article, many years ago a news article from Yahoo Sports
inadvertently left off an important piece of information in a report it presented. It said that cheerleading had 67%
of catastrophic injuries in all sports. The key mistake there is that the data was only of female sports, which have a
significantly lower number of injuries than males sports. This mistake was then copied by the 300+ outlets that
cited Yahoo Sports, including false headlines such as “Cheerleading is more dangerous than football”, obviously
leading to the misperception that cheerleading is more dangerous than football. Yahoo updated their article, but
few of the outlets that shared the information did. The data is simply not supported.
Additionally, even within cheerleading, the number of catastrophic injuries has been reduced dramatically over
the past decade (see Chart 1 below). Very few news outlets have decided to share this information, leaving an
information gap that still purports that cheerleading is dangerous.
Chart 1 - Cheer Catastrophic Injuries by YearFurther, an ongoing 10-year study by the National Federation of High Schools has included cheerleading in its
reporting, and throughout this study, cheerleading has ranked amongst the safest of the 20 sports studied in terms
of injury rates, coming in 4th safest in the latest 2019 study (See Chart 2 below). In the same study, cheerleading
shows a lower concussion rate than 8 other sports, including women’s soccer, lacrosse, and basketball (See Chart
3 below).
Chart 2 - High School Sports Injury Rates Chart 3 - High School Sports Concussion Rates
Finally, cheerleading emergency room visits are lower than several female sports, though the cheerleading figures
are often cited in articles without any mention of these other sports for any type of perspective (See Chart 4
below).
Chart 4 - Emergency Room visits by females ages 12-18
All of the available cheerleading injury data can be found at https://www.usacheer.org/safety/researchWhat has STUNT done to minimize risk?
The format of the STUNT game vs. cheerleading leads to an even further decrease in risk.
In a cheerleading competition, teams are allowed to perform any skills within the allowed rules structure. This
includes making up new skills and attempting the most difficult skills allowed, regardless of ability level. All
athletes are on the floor at the same time, attempting to perform the most difficult skills they can perform in order
to gain points. Scoring is based on execution and difficulty, Coaches training includes risk minimization, and
penalties for falls help encourage teams to stay within their ability levels.
How the STUNT format minimizes risk:
1. In a STUNT game, teams perform pre-choreographed compulsory routines. There is no “making up new
skills” to see who can come up with the most difficult and creative skill. Since each team is performing
the same routine at the same time, difficulty is not considered in scoring. Technique and execution of
skills is rewarded in the scoring system.
2. Skill modification is allowed, which gives the coach the opportunity to substitute an easier skill that will
result in a smaller penalty than if the skill failed and created a safety issue. As the season progresses and
individual skills get better, they may change the skill back to the original skill. This format encourages
coaches to take the safer option.
3. The routines in each quarter are focused on a specific area of skills; quarter 1 is Partner Stunts, quarter 2
is Pyramids and Tosses, and quarter 3 is Jumps and Tumbling. The 4th quarter puts those routines back-
to-back in a longer format, but utilize the same compulsory routines. What this means is that an athlete
who is good at building or spotting partner stunts is not pushed to also perform tumbling skills. Likewise,
an athlete with a gymnastics background can be used for the Jumps and Tumbling quarter, but does not
have to build stunts or pyramids. A comparison would be using specialized athletes on a kickoff or
receiving team that may not participate in other parts of the game.
4. Each of the routines in the quarters involves a different level of difficulty. Lower-numbered routines have
an easy difficulty level, which progresses steadily up to the higher-numbered routines with more
difficulty. This format allows a coach to place athletes in routines that fit their ability level. Newer
athletes may be involved in lower-numbered routines while more experienced and talented athletes
participate in higher-numbered routines.
5. A team can forfeit a round. If a team determines that a higher-level routine is beyond their difficulty level
and that performing it would be unsafe, they can simply forfeit that round. The opposing team would get
the point, and the forfeiting team gains possession - the ability to determine which level of the routines
will be played next. This not only keeps her team from being in an unsafe position, it allows her to call a
routine that fits her team’s ability level for the next round.
In addition to the game format, STUNT coaches are required to complete the USA Cheer Safety and Risk
Management Course, which is required of all NCAA cheerleading coaches and most state high school athletics
associations who require coaches’ sport-specific training. They are also trained on the rules and regulations of
STUNT, including the coaching strategies outlined above that can reduce risk while factoring into their overall
game strategy.The STUNT format has shown positive results.
Sport Practice Game Source
STUNT 0.89 0.46 See below (1)
Soccer 16.4 5.2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941298
Basketball 7.68 3.99 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941290
Gymnastics 15.19 6.07 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941288
1. As STUNT is a new sport, it has not been included in external formalized studies or the NFHS or NCAA
Injury Surveillance System up to this point.
The latest internal study showed that STUNT injury rates were favorable to those found in other college
women’s sports. The STUNT data below was collected from Athletic Trainer reports collected from STUNT
games from 2010-2015. A 2016-17 Injury Survey was sent to coaches to include practices and games to
determine practice injury rates. The game data collected from athletic trainers in 2010-15 supports data
collected from coaches in 2016-17 (0.46 AE vs 0.42 AE), which provides some level of confidence in the
coach reporting of practice injury rates.
A more formalized study was put in place for the 2020 season, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was not
able to be utilized. We are looking forward to implementing this study in the upcoming 2021 season.
Insurance Premiums:
One of the questions asked most often is whether there is an increase in insurance premiums when adding a
STUNT program. Our Varsity programs report a very slight increase, if any, to their existing premiums after
adding a STUNT program, commensurate with adding any additional athletes.Demographics Data for STUNT Participants
12b | Demographics Data for STUNT Participants STUNT PARTICIPANTS STUNT has a diverse coach and athlete ethnic demographic. The gender makeup of STUNT coaches is overwhelmingly female. In addition to ethnic diversity, STUNT attracts female athletes of all body types and socioeconomic backgrounds.
2018-19 ETHNICITY PERCENTAGES FOR STUNT - COLLEGE
American Native
Indian/ Hawaiian/
Alaskan Black, Non- Hispanic/ White, Non- Pacific Two or More Nonresident
Native Asian Hispanic Latino Hispanic Islander Races Other Alien
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
Head
Coaches
0.0 0.0 0.0 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.7 82.6 0.0 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Asst.
Coaches
3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.4 6.9 0.0 3.4 3.4 62.1 0.0 2.9 0.0 13.8 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
Athletes 0.0 0.1 0.0 3.7 0.0 14.1 0.0 9.1 0.0 67.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 4.7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
Demographic data compiled from post-season survey to head coaches. College results are from 23 college programs. Figures may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
College Head Coaches College Asst. Coaches2018-19 ETHNICITY PERCENTAGES FOR STUNT – HS/JH/Youth
American Native
Indian/ Hawaiian/
Alaskan Black, Non- Hispanic/ White, Non- Pacific Two or More Nonresident
Native Asian Hispanic Latino Hispanic Islander Races Other Alien
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
Head
Coaches
0.0 3.5 1.8 3.5 0.0 1.8 1.8 8.8 1.8 64.9 0.0 0.0 1.8 8.8 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0
Asst.
Coaches 0.0 3.2 0.0 1.6 0.0 4.8 4.8 12.9 1.6 61.3 0.0 1.6 0.0 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Athletes 0.0 4.7 0.0 8.1 0.0 7.6 0.0 18.7 0.0 52.2 0.0 1.2 0.0 5.9 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.7
Demographic data compiled from post-season survey to head coaches. HS/JH/Youth results are from 2 youth programs, 1 Junior High program, and 57 high school programs.
The majority of high school teams and survey respondents are from California where STUNT is a state sanctioned sport. Figures may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
HS/JH/Youth Head Coaches HS/JH/YTH Asst. CoachesNext Steps
If you are ready to start a STUNT program at your institution, visit the “Start a STUNT Team” page
under the “College” section at STUNTtheSport.org. It will guide you every step of the way and have
you prepared for the next season of STUNT. Reach out to other administrators in your conference and
introduce them to STUNT to move toward conference play!
If you have any questions that aren’t answered in this guide, please reach out to one of our staff listed
below and they will be glad to assist you!
Contact Us
Lauri Harris, lharris@usacheer.org
Executive Director, USA Cheer
Amy Haney, ahaney@usacheer.org
Director of Expansion, West Region
Karie Chard, kchard@usacheer.org
Director of Expansion, East Region
Jessica Chatto, jchatto@usacheer.org
Assistant Director, USA Cheer
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